Team of local people leading effort to raise funds for new pedestrian walkway connecting people with nature at Bayfield River Flats; this walkway could connect people to recreation, nature … and even history!
An active group of community volunteers is working to build a new pedestrian walkway so people don’t have to drive to the Bayfield River Flats Natural Area. The creation of a new walkway would mean people could walk from Bayfield to this area of habitat protection and recreation without having to cross a busy highway.
To find out more about the walkway project, you are invited to mix and mingle have fun and hear some short presentations at a community evening at Bayfield Town Hall on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 from 7 to 9 p.m. There is no cost to attend. The Walkway to the Finish Line event is a casual evening with a chance to socialize, learn about and show your support for this project. 1851 Bayfield Landing is providing a cash bar at the event. There is also a silent auction table.
If the community can raise the needed money to build the walkway, it will connect people with nature, recreation … and even local history!
The Bayfield River Flats is an important nature and recreation area and it also has a rich history. People walking the trails there can read interpretive signs outlining some of that historical tapestry. Dating back many years, from its use by indigenous people hundreds of years ago to its use by anglers today, the Bayfield River Flats has been a thriving habitat for fish. The location has been a site of a dam and a river crossing and was the location of the former Thompson’s Mill. The ruins of the mill and the old dam, which was also the first bridge across the Bayfield River, are still visible at the site. The Flats was also used for marina storage for many years.
At one time, in 1820, this site was even proposed to be the naval harbour.
An article on the Land Trust website recalls that: “ … During Bayfield’s early years – until 1900 – this tranquil woodland setting was the site of Thomson’s Mill. Until the saw and gristmill were fully operational in the 1840s, area pioneers had to hand saw their lumber and carry their grain on their backs on deer paths to Goderich for milling.”
To learn more about the illustrious history of the Flats, there is an article, about the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy, by Ben Forrest, in Huron-Perth Boomers magazine. The article is called ‘Preserving the Huron Tract: Land Trust Conservancy is preserving donated land in the Huron Tract for future generations.’
The article includes an historical illustration of Thomson’s Mill, circa 1890, in the land known today as Bayfield River Flats. The article also includes an historical photo of the Bayfield Fish Reel. People walking the Bayfield River Flats trail can even see a fishing net drying reel installed there.
More recently, the Bayfield River Flats history includes a successful community fundraising campaign in 2017, led by the trail association, that received donations from more than 220 individuals donors, having raised more than $70,000 to purchase the River Flats so the trail association could donate it to the land trust to be preserved permanently.
Today, the Bayfield River Flats Natural Area is a place to enjoy nature and recreation and it’s also a place to reflect on a rich local history. The creation of a pedestrian walkway would allow you to walk from Bayfield to this historic site without walking across the highway.
The Bayfield River Valley Trail Association (BRVTA) is leading the walkway fundraising project. The Bayfield River Flats Natural Area is permanently protected by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC) as habitat for wildlife and as a recreation destination.
To learn more about the Bayfield River Flats Walkway project, or to donate, visit the Bayfield River Flats web page. Visit the Land Trust website and the Bayfield River Valley Trail Association website to find out more.
(PLEASE NOTE: The actual 2024 cost of construction of the pedestrian walkway is about $70,000. The amazing and generous local community has contributed $65,000 so far towards the project. Construction is beginning in spring of 2024 but we still need to raise another $5,000 to cover the cost of this project. Thank you for considering a donation).